Menorca in Autumn Naturetrek Tour Report 18 - 25 October 2017 Black Redstart Copper Demoiselle Female Crimson Speckled Moth Egyptian Vulture Report compiled by Ian Nicholson and Martin Beaton Images by Ian Nicholson Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Menorca in Autumn Tour participants: Ian Nicholson and Martin Beaton (leaders), plus 16 Naturetrek Clients Summary The main focus of this tour was the migrating birds which pass through Menorca each autumn on their way south for the winter. As well as seeing birds in the varied habitats of this relatively small island, we had the opportunity to visit a bird-ringing station on the offshore islet of Isla del Aire, where we were able to see the birds at very close quarters. Within the range of habitats we explored we also found plenty of butterflies, dragonflies and plants along with other wildlife. Day 1 Wednesday 18th October The flights from all three UK airports which the group were using arrived more or less on time, so after meeting Llorenc, the hotel proprietor who always comes to the airport to greet visiting groups, we boarded the minibuses and drove the short distance to Matxani Gran, our base for the next week. The rooms were quickly allocated, and everyone met up for lunch at about 1.15. After a leisurely lunch we had a gentle walk around the fields adjacent to the hotel which produced two Hoopoes, several Stonechats and Chiffchaffs, Cetti’s and Sardinian Warblers, plus large numbers of Goldfinches and Collared Doves, both of which seem to be increasing rapidly on Menorca at present. Several Booted Eagles, mainly of the pale form, soared overhead, and House Sparrows were abundant in the buildings and bushes around the hotel. The fields were dominated by Common Asphodel (Asphodelus aestivus), along with the autumnal remains of Boar Thistle (Galacties tomentosa), Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) and Grey Asparagus (Asparagus horridus). In addition, we found the autumn flowers of Merendera (Colchicum filifolium), and the small autumn-flowering daffodil Narcissus serotinus. Several butterfly species, including Small Copper, Cleopatra, Red Admiral and the southern subspecies of Speckled Wood were found, along with a single specimen of Geranium Bronze, a South African species which has been accidentally introduced into the Balearic Islands and which is becoming something of a pest as its caterpillars feed exclusively on Pelargoniums. Also of note were large numbers of Crimson Speckled Moths - a very attractive day-flying species, and a Humming-bird Hawk-moth. Later, we met up to go through the day’s sightings and our plans for the next few days and, after an excellent evening meal, everyone opted for an early night after a long day. Day 2 Thursday 19th October Tirant area We awoke this morning to an overcast sky and a persistent drizzle, and also some distant thunder, although there were a few breaks in the cloud to the west, which was the direction from which the weather was coming. After a substantial breakfast of fruit juice, cold meats, cheese, eggs, various pastries and bread, washed down with coffee or tea, we set off towards the north of the island, stopping briefly in Sant Climent to purchase bottles of water for the next few days. We made our way to Tirant Marsh, which was pretty dry at this time of the year, although there were a few Cattle Egrets around and a Lapwing was a bit of a surprise, as they are far from common on © Naturetrek December 17 1 Menorca in Autumn Tour Report Menorca. Light rain was still falling as we made our way along the track to another part of the marsh, but it stopped briefly and, suddenly, there were a lot more birds to be seen. Linnets and Goldfinches flitted around in the low bushes, while Stonechats perched prominently on the fences and hedges. About six Chiffchaffs were also here, along with a Siskin, several Robins, Song Thrushes and Black Redstarts, but the star turn was a Bluethroat which perched initially on a tall bush and then on a fence, showing the orange patches at the base of its tail. The improvement in the weather also encouraged a few raptors to take to the sky, and Booted Eagles and Red Kites soared overhead, one of the former being harassed by a Kestrel. The marsh was dominated by Common Spike-rush (Eleocharis palustris) with scattered bushes of Tamarisk. However, towards its seaward side, dwarf bushes of Shrubby Glasswort (Sarcocornia fruticosa) and Sea-purslane (Atriplex (Halimione) portulacoides) emphasised the increasing salinity of the soil. From the marsh we moved on to the beach at Cala Tirant, where we found two Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Sandpiper feeding by a pool, and had distant views of an Audouin’s Gull. In the scrub behind the beach was a Hoopoe, several Chiffchaffs and many Linnets, and we also saw the heads of several Terrapins sticking up out of the water, but unfortunately, they were too distant to determine whether they were the native European Pond Terrapin or the introduced, and dominant, Red-eared Terrapin. Efforts have been made recently to remove the interlopers, but it is not clear at present how successful this has been. The beach and sand dunes contain distinctive plants including Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria), Sea Bindweed (Calystegia solandella), Sea Holly (Eryngium maritimum), Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima) and Sea Chamomile (Anthemis maritima). By now time was getting on, so we returned to the minibuses and had our picnic lunch. Fortunately, it remained dry while we had lunch, and while we ate we were entertained by Booted Eagles and Red Kites, while three Hermann’s Tortoises were found among the stony scrub beside the road. This dwarf-shrub community or garrigue is typical on dry stony ground in the Mediterranean region. Typical plants that we were able to identify included Spiny Broom (Calicotome spinosa), Phoenicean Juniper (Juniperus phoenicea), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Montpellier Cistus (Cistus monspeliensis) and Canary Clover (Dorycnium hirsutum). With lunch finished, we decided that a coffee stop was in order, so we drove the short distance to the village of Fornells where we parked by the harbour and strolled to one of the many cafes overlooking the sea. On returning to the vehicles, the plan was to visit an area of disused salt pans just outside the village, but the sky was looking extremely dark and forbidding, and no sooner had we got in the vans and closed the doors than the heavens opened, and we were in the middle of a torrential downpour. A quick radio conversation between the vans confirmed that no one particularly wanted to walk round the salt pans in this weather, so we decided that we would head towards Cala en Porter on the south coast, and if the weather was still no better, we would call it a day and head back to the hotel. At Cala en Porter there was no sign of any improvement, so we did exactly that. Back at the hotel, Llorenc said that he had been at the other end of the island and there had been a terrific thunderstorm lasting several hours, so it rather looked as though we had had the best of the weather. The rain did stop in the early evening, and some of the group ventured out around the hotel, seeing a Hoopoe, two Siskins, two Thekla Larks and several Black Redstarts. 2 © Naturetrek December 17 Menorca in Autumn Tour Report Day 3 Friday 20th October Cap de Cavalleria, Sa Roca and Mahon This morning we headed north again, our destination being Cap de Cavalleria, the most northerly point of the island. On our way out to the headland we stopped briefly at the inlet at Sanitja, which was the main port in Roman times, and had a slightly longer stop at Cala Viola where we found several Black Redstarts and Meadow Pipits, a Common Redstart and a Siskin amongst other species. This area provided our first view of the short, bushy vegetation of the north coast, referred to as socarrell, which contains numerous specialist and endemic plants which are able to survive the extreme winds and salinity. Here, we found Balearic Milk-vetch (Astragalus balearicus), Yellow Anthyllis (Anthyllis hystrix) and Hedgehog Lettuce (Launaea cervicornis). Further on near the lighthouse, we were disappointed to find that the café was closed, despite the sign stating that it is open until the end of October (this is the opposite situation to that in our spring tour, when it was open in April even though according to the same sign says it doesn’t open until 1st May!). Around the headland were more Black Redstarts and Robins, as well as several Blue Rock Thrushes and two Kestrels. The sculpted rocky stones of the headland provide shelter for a number of unusual plans including, the autumn-flowering Painted Arum (Arum pictum), the Balearic Foxglove (Digitalis minor) and Smilax (Smilax aspera var. balearica). We decided to have lunch in the pleasant wooded valley at Sa Roca in the centre of the island, where there were some interesting plants to admire. Growing below the Aleppo Pines (Pinus halepensis), were Holm Oak (Quercus ilex, which would eventually replace the pine as the dominant tree species), Many-flowered Heath (Erica multiflora), Grey-leaved Cistus (Cistus albidus), Sage-leaved Cistus (Cistus salvifolius) and the Montpellier Cistus (Cistus monspeliensis), along with several fabulous specimens of the Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo) with ripe fruits. Birds were rather thin on the ground here, although two Ravens flying overhead were an addition to the week’s list, and migrating Robins were singing all around us.